A day on Dangar Island …

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Dangar Island View

This little island is only fifty kilometres from Sydney on the historic Hawkesbury River, but once you reach it you could be half a world away. The cute (is there a better word?) island ferry drops you at the wharf right next to the Dangar Island Café  which has possibly one of the best “coffee views” in the world.

Dangar Island Ferry

There are no cars, and residents transport their shopping home from the ferry wharf by wheelbarrow along small paved “streets” which loop around the island allowing glimpses of the river, island life and quirky sub-tropical gardens.

Dangar Island Cafe
Morgan & Alison at the Dangar Island Cafe

We spent a leisurely few hours wandering the island, wishing we lived there and not wanting to return to the bustle and noise of Sydney.  To rub salt into the wound, our return ferry disgorged a happy little herd of school children returning to their idyllic island homes.

A beach pot planter
Approaching the island
Children’s tabletop artwork
Power pole decorations

The Mango War …

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There’s a battle going on in the garden… It’s between the fruit bats, rats, bower birds and me.  And no prizes for guessing who loses and gets the leftovers!

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The spoils of war!

This year has been particularly good for mangoes.  Spring was quite dry so there was no problem with fungus and due to an un-discovered leak in my main water pipe, the tree was provided with a generous (and expensive) underground water supply.

You’d think that my chances of scoring a few mangoes would be pretty high … but so far the score is:  me just three – wildlife probably fifty.

So I’ve netted a small section, and I patrol daily.  But somehow they beat me every time, invariably taking the one mango that I had decided would be ready to pick TOMORROW, they eat them unripe, and they even eat them through the netting.

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Two Satin Bower Birds discussing strategy …

 

I don’t mind sharing with the wildlife, but when I hear the bats squabbling enthusiastically over my mangoes as I lie in bed at night I get a bit cranky!

Satin Bower Bird tucking in to a mango
Nearly ripe mangoes …
Eaten through the netting

Bamboo creations …

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This week ended for me with splinters, sore fingers, a new found respect for bamboo artisans and a “not-so-private” privacy screen for my outside shower.

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Bello Bamboo’s property on the upper reaches of the Kalang River

I should explain … this week Bellingen hosted Camp Creative.  An annual event, now in its 27th year, which attracts over a thousand participants to the town. Courses on offer include – visual arts, writing, crafts, digital imaging, indigenous language and culture, music, singing and dance. Adults and children are catered for, and if you’ve always wanted to learn Indian Bellydance Fusion, African Drumming, The Joy of the Mighty Uke (elele) or how to Build a Canoe … then Camp Creative is for you.

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Don’t plant this one in your garden!

My chosen course, Bamboo Craft for an Eco-Future was over-subscribed, with one participant driving 1,528 kilometres from Phillip Island just to attend.  The course was run for the first time this year by the lovely people from the Bello Bamboo Company.  We harvested our bamboo from Kirsten and Rob’s property and then launched enthusiastically into building our chosen project.  I think it’s fair to say that we were all under skilled and overly ambitious, but everyone had a great time and went home with at least one creation.

Mine was a privacy screen for the outside shower – but to avoid shocking my neighbours, I think I’ll be growing a small creeper over it!

Inspiration – maybe next year !!
The screen – waiting for a creeper
Phyllostachys nigra – a running bamboo too vigorous to plant in my garden

One fewer cicada …

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I’m just back from ten days “respite” in Sydney and Adelaide, and my house is shielded from the worst of the noise, even so I am COMPLETELY OVER cicadas.

So you can imagine that this sight cheered me up no end …

Only 999,999 cicadas to go !!